The first four Lessons of the Global Futures of the Environment Course will introduce you to the two most significant aspects of climate crisis: global warming and sea level rise, including the challenges and the alternative ways we can mitigate and adapt to these challenges. There is a great deal of agreement among climate scientists that the planet is warming in ways that increase risk for a large proportion of the global population. It is widely agreed this results from the industrialised human lifestyle and that it is potentially irreversible. The main driver of climate crisis is global warming, leading to melting of icecaps, storms, wildfires, sea level rise, food shortages from loss of arable land to drought, floods, and salination. https://www.steinereducation.edu.au/latest-news/sea-global-futures-of-the-environment-online-course/
The middle four lessons will introduce the challenges inherent in the old energy systems we have been using for the past century, and some alternatives that will make life on earth more sustainable, resilient and healthy. In Lesson Five we will look more closely at what causes global warming. It is now well known that the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that are heating the planet are primarily linked to the burning of fossil fuels. In Lesson Six we will explore ‘carbon sequestration’ strategies include preserving forests and planting new ones. An alternative, equally important method, is replanting the Ocean and coastal zones with seagrasses, seaweed and mangroves. This is called Blue Carbon. https://www.steinereducation.edu.au/latest-news/sea-global-futures-of-the-environment-online-course/
The final four lessons explore ecosystem collapse on land, and Ocean, which actually governs Climate. Multiple feedback loops are creating tipping points towards the collapse of the mighty ecosystems governing our planet. An even bigger looming consequence is mass species extinction, already beginning to occur. We will also explore the alternatives to business-as-usual that will help communities to both mitigate the ecosystem breakdown and adapt to the changing climate and environment. On land, communities are introducing urban farming and regenerative approaches to agriculture. On the Ocean and in waterways, aquaculture and seaweed farming are emerging as new opportunities to feed a changing world. https://www.steinereducation.edu.au/latest-news/sea-global-futures-of-the-environment-online-course/